Briefly | Colorado named top state in the nation for increasing resources and support for young families
Welcome to Briefly, Colorado Politics’ daily news briefing. Here’s what’s happening today:
Polis, CPW announce $3 million in grants to expand youth access to the outdoors
Gov. Jared Polis and Colorado Parks and Wildlife have announced the recipients of a new round of Outdoor Equity Grands. The $3 million in funding is paid through the Colorado Lottery and supports organizations that increase opportunities for marginalized Coloradans to participate in education, conservation, and job training opportunities in the outdoors.
The Outdoor Equity Grant Program was created through 2021’s House Bill 1318 and has awarded over $8.5 million to 141 organizations for initiatives like adaptive skiing for individuals with disabilities and expanding outdoor recreation and education for children with vision impairments
“From skiing Colorado’s mountains to hiking our world-renowned trails, Outdoor Equity Grants expand opportunities for young Coloradans to visit and enjoy Colorado’s landscapes, and to discover passions that lead to careers in conservation and outdoor recreation,” said Polis. “These grants ensure the next generation can both enjoy and learn to care for our incredible natural resources that make Colorado so special.”
In the Governor’s Fiscal Year 2025-2026 budget request to the legislature, Polis and the Department of Natural Resources requested a $1.3 million increase in the Grant Project’s budget for a total yearly funding of $4 million.
“Investing in, inspiring and preparing the next generation for meaningful careers is crucial to the future of our natural resources,” said Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Executive Director Dan Gibbs. “Additional resources for the OEGP will expand opportunities for young people to learn about the outdoors and will help in our efforts to protect the state’s land, water, and wildlife for generations to come.”
This year’s grant recipients include Denver Youth Program, Get Outdoors Leadville, Granby Elementary, the Greater Arkansas River Nature Association in Salida, and La Plata Youth Services in Durango.
Boebert and Hickenlooper’s ‘fish bill’ included in NDAA
A provision to protect endangered and threatened fish species in the Upper Colorado River and San Juan River Basin is set to be included in this year’s National Defense Authorization Act.
The Upper Colorado and San Juan River Basins Endangered Fish Recovery Programs Reauthorization Act, sponsored by Sen. John Hickenlooper (D- Colo.) and Rep. Lauren Boebert (R- Colo.), reauthorizes a program to restore populations of humpback chub, bonytail, Colorado pikeminnow, and razorback sucker in Colorado, Utah, New Mexico and Wyoming through Fiscal Year 2031 and expands the programs to include recovery of threatened fish stock.
“I am thrilled that my fish recovery bill passed the House and will soon be signed into law,” said Boebert. “Ensuring protection for four threatened and endangered species of fish in Colorado while also allowing thousands of power and water users to continue their operations without interruption is common sense. This important legislation, which I was proud to work on with Senator John Hickenlooper, provides stability to these projects for the next seven years as they provide power to Coloradans and residents of states across the West. It is a reasonable solution that balances responsible protection of our rivers and the need to create affordable power for Americans and I am proud to know this legislation will be enacted soon for the betterment of Colorado.”
Colorado named top state in the nation for increasing resources and support for young families
Gov. Polis and the Department of Early Childhood are celebrating a recent analysis by Vanderbilt University’s Prenatal-to-3 Policy Impact Center that named Colorado the top state in the nation for increasing resources and support for families with young children.
“Colorado is the best place to live, work, play and raise a family,” said Polis. “We have taken large strides in ensuring that Colorado families are supported and prioritized, from offering Universal Pre School to 12-weeks paid family leave we continue to set the standard in the nation toward growing our economy and supporting our families who choose to Colorado home.”
The report, “5 Years of Progress on the State Policy Roadmap“, found that a parent earning minimum wage with two children in Colorado now has $54,330 in total resources available to them in 2024, up from $32,703 in 2020, representing the largest increase in the nation.
“Colorado’s success reflects the power of intentional, data-driven policies that prioritize families,” said Dr. Lisa Roy, Executive Director of the Colorado Department of Early Childhood. “These achievements are not just numbers—they represent real progress in ensuring that every child has a strong foundation for a lifetime of success. We are proud to lead the way in supporting families and children.”
The report also highlighted Colorado’s 12-week paid family and medical leave program, which was passed through a ballot initiative in 2020, the state’s refundable child tax credit and refundable Family Affordability Credit, and its recently-enacted policy to expand Medicaid and CHIP to pregnant women and children who were previously ineligible due to immigration status.
Briefly | Colorado named top state in the nation for increasing resources and support for young families
Welcome to Briefly, Colorado Politics’ daily news briefing. Here’s what’s happening today:
Polis, CPW announce $3 million in grants to expand youth access to the outdoors
Gov. Jared Polis and Colorado Parks and Wildlife have announced the recipients of a new round of Outdoor Equity Grands. The $3 million in funding is paid through the Colorado Lottery and supports organizations that increase opportunities for marginalized Coloradans to participate in education, conservation, and job training opportunities in the outdoors.
The Outdoor Equity Grant Program was created through 2021’s House Bill 1318 and has awarded over $8.5 million to 141 organizations for initiatives like adaptive skiing for individuals with disabilities and expanding outdoor recreation and education for children with vision impairments
“From skiing Colorado’s mountains to hiking our world-renowned trails, Outdoor Equity Grants expand opportunities for young Coloradans to visit and enjoy Colorado’s landscapes, and to discover passions that lead to careers in conservation and outdoor recreation,” said Polis. “These grants ensure the next generation can both enjoy and learn to care for our incredible natural resources that make Colorado so special.”
In the Governor’s Fiscal Year 2025-2026 budget request to the legislature, Polis and the Department of Natural Resources requested a $1.3 million increase in the Grant Project’s budget for a total yearly funding of $4 million.
“Investing in, inspiring and preparing the next generation for meaningful careers is crucial to the future of our natural resources,” said Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Executive Director Dan Gibbs. “Additional resources for the OEGP will expand opportunities for young people to learn about the outdoors and will help in our efforts to protect the state’s land, water, and wildlife for generations to come.”
This year’s grant recipients include Denver Youth Program, Get Outdoors Leadville, Granby Elementary, the Greater Arkansas River Nature Association in Salida, and La Plata Youth Services in Durango.
Boebert and Hickenlooper’s ‘fish bill’ included in NDAA
A provision to protect endangered and threatened fish species in the Upper Colorado River and San Juan River Basin is set to be included in this year’s National Defense Authorization Act.
The Upper Colorado and San Juan River Basins Endangered Fish Recovery Programs Reauthorization Act, sponsored by Sen. John Hickenlooper (D- Colo.) and Rep. Lauren Boebert (R- Colo.), reauthorizes a program to restore populations of humpback chub, bonytail, Colorado pikeminnow, and razorback sucker in Colorado, Utah, New Mexico and Wyoming through Fiscal Year 2031 and expands the programs to include recovery of threatened fish stock.
“I am thrilled that my fish recovery bill passed the House and will soon be signed into law,” said Boebert. “Ensuring protection for four threatened and endangered species of fish in Colorado while also allowing thousands of power and water users to continue their operations without interruption is common sense. This important legislation, which I was proud to work on with Senator John Hickenlooper, provides stability to these projects for the next seven years as they provide power to Coloradans and residents of states across the West. It is a reasonable solution that balances responsible protection of our rivers and the need to create affordable power for Americans and I am proud to know this legislation will be enacted soon for the betterment of Colorado.”
Colorado named top state in the nation for increasing resources and support for young families
Gov. Polis and the Department of Early Childhood are celebrating a recent analysis by Vanderbilt University’s Prenatal-to-3 Policy Impact Center that named Colorado the top state in the nation for increasing resources and support for families with young children.
“Colorado is the best place to live, work, play and raise a family,” said Polis. “We have taken large strides in ensuring that Colorado families are supported and prioritized, from offering Universal Pre School to 12-weeks paid family leave we continue to set the standard in the nation toward growing our economy and supporting our families who choose to Colorado home.”
The report, “5 Years of Progress on the State Policy Roadmap“, found that a parent earning minimum wage with two children in Colorado now has $54,330 in total resources available to them in 2024, up from $32,703 in 2020, representing the largest increase in the nation.
“Colorado’s success reflects the power of intentional, data-driven policies that prioritize families,” said Dr. Lisa Roy, Executive Director of the Colorado Department of Early Childhood. “These achievements are not just numbers—they represent real progress in ensuring that every child has a strong foundation for a lifetime of success. We are proud to lead the way in supporting families and children.”
The report also highlighted Colorado’s 12-week paid family and medical leave program, which was passed through a ballot initiative in 2020, the state’s refundable child tax credit and refundable Family Affordability Credit, and its recently-enacted policy to expand Medicaid and CHIP to pregnant women and children who were previously ineligible due to immigration status.